Honda is setting its sights on innovative hydrogen developments with an ambitious project involving space technology.
The automaker has partnered with Sierra Space and Tec-Masters to implement a high-differential pressure water electrolysis system aboard the International Space Station (ISS). This initiative aligns with Honda’s vision of utilizing regenerative fuel cell technology to generate hydrogen, oxygen, and electricity, thereby supporting potential human settlements on the Moon and beyond.
Honda’s commitment to hydrogen represents a bold stance in an industry where many automakers remain skeptical. Hydrogen vehicles have often faced obstacles, including infrastructure issues and cost challenges. Nonetheless, Honda aims to leverage hydrogen to achieve a decarbonized vehicle fleet by 2040, and now seeks to utilize the universe’s most abundant element to facilitate its exploration ambitions.
The company envisions integrating its hydrogen-powered regenerative system into a future human outpost on the Moon. It seeks to demonstrate the technology’s practical applications both in space and on Earth through rigorous testing on the lunar surface.
Honda’s commitment to hydrogen represents a bold stance in an industry where many automakers remain skeptical.
The operational mechanics of Honda’s system involve harnessing solar energy during the lunar day through solar panels. The high-differential pressure water electrolysis system will then extract hydrogen and oxygen from water. When the lunar night occurs, some of the produced oxygen will support astronauts, while additional oxygen will contribute to electricity generation. The electrolysis process yields water as its only byproduct, which is cycled back into the system to maintain a closed-loop energy cycle.
Honda intends to conduct experiments with this system in the unique microgravity conditions of the ISS. The collaboration includes NASA for transporting the necessary equipment via Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spaceplane, with Tec-Masters providing expertise related to ISS technology.
Ensuring a dependable supply of oxygen and electricity in space is crucial for developing sustainable human habitats beyond Earth. While electrolysis has been proposed as a viable life support mechanism, scientific research indicates that lower gravity environments may impact the gas production process. A 2022 study found that oxygen generation through electrolysis is approximately 11 percent less effective in a lunar context compared to Earth’s gravity.
